Transferring loops in knitting



July 27, 1954 c. F. MILLER TRANSFERRING LOOPS IN KNITTING Filed Oct. 28. 1948 F'IG.2.

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Patented July 27, 1954 TRANSFERRING LOOPS IN KNITTING Charles F. Miller, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Jacquard Knitting Machine 00., Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New York Application October 28, 1948, Serial No. 56,949

9 Claims.

This invention relates to transferring loops from needle to needle in knitting machines by the use of clips at the sides of the needles from which loops are taken. As is well known, these clips open the loops respectively as they are about to be transferred so that the receiving instruments can enter them. The invention is applicable to cases where the clips are attached to the needles they serve, and also to cases where the clips are carried by instruments provided for the purpose.

As is well known, opening the loops by such clips causes the yarn to break at times. The present invention tends to reduce the frequency of the yarn breaks as it were, and also permits transferring with some yarns so fine and tender that without the invention the operation. would be impractical because of the frequency of the breaks. Also it eliminates the need of knitting loose courses preparatory to transferring in various cases, which is an expedient that has been resorted to at times to reduce the frequency of yarn breaks sufiiciently to permit the transferring of loops with some yarns.

Speaking generally, my invention accomplishes these results by supporting the end of each transferring loop, transversely of the needle staff, from the active edge of the clip toward the needle staff", and, longitudinally of the needle staif, from substantially the point along the clip where the clip begins to open the transferring loops (i. e. from the very point where the opening begins or from another point somewhat back of that beginning point) to a point somewhat further back. It seems unnecessary however to support the loop ends farther back than a point on the clip whereat the maximum spacing between the clip and needle staff occurs. This supporting can be done by providing a platform, as it were, on which the end of the loop can run, extending transversely from the active or loop-engaging edge of the clip toward the needle staff and extending longitudinally from substantially the point on the clip where the clip begins to open the transferring loops transversely to a point farther back on the clip and which may be the point where the maximum tension is applied to the opening loops. This change in the method of handling the yarn is especially efficacious in connection with that method of transferring in which the loop is drawn out lengthwise, at least somewhat, before the action of opening the loop transversely is begun, and the platform addition is especially efficacious in connection with clips and needles which transfer in accordance with such method. Also both the platform and the change in the method of 2 handling the yarn are most eflicacious in connection with the transfer needle described in U. S. Patent No. 2,326,594, issued August 10, 1943, and the method in accordance with which such needles operate in transferring loops.

The best form of my invention of which I am at present aware is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a transfer needle having the loop-end-supporting platform mentioned. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a portion of Fig. 1 adjacent the platform, drawn to a larger scale. Fig. l is a side elevation of the clip portion of Fig. 3 and associated parts of the needle staff. Fig. 5 is a section of the clip on the line V-V of Fig. 4.

The needle 5 of the drawing is a sliding needle of the latch type, and for the purposes of this description can be regarded as used in the cylinder of a circular knitting machine. While knitting, i. e. while forming a succession of interlooped loops, the needle 5 is reciprocated in the customary manner, and is reciprocated to such an extent that when raised to the highest position that it reaches during knitting, any loop then on the needle occupies about the position along the needle staff that is indicated at 51. The instrument to receive loops drawn by the needle 5, as and when desired, is indicated diagrammatically at 5; this instrument may be a dial needle of the sliding latch type and so located that its normal knitting path is a little to one side of the path of the needle 5, as will be understood.

The transfer clip 24a for the needle has a body portion 2:; which is displaced or bulges from one side of the needle. The clip is resilient as heretofore, and that end of the clip which is the more remote from the needle hook is attached to, preferably, the side'of the needle, say in a conventional manner, while its opposite end 5% rests against the needle side normally, at about or a little below the loop position 5?, and also is free, i. e. is not attached to the needle. Usually a deression is provided in the side of the needle 5 in which the free end 55 of the clip lies normally, Fig. 1; the purpose of this is to permit the end 5%? of the clip to pass readily into a loop til hanging on the needle whenever the needle is raised high enough for this to happen, as it is during each transferring operation. At or near its forward edge the needle is provided a projection 58 to enter each loop to be transferred prior to the passing into the loop of that portion of the clip which is farthest separated from the needle side; this r projection 58 extends forwardly, and is inclined forwardly and downwardly in such a manner as to draw out the loop on the needle as the projection is thrust upwardly into the loop, drawing it out lengthwise of itself and in a direction directly away from the edge of the fabric. That is to say, the projection 58 has a thickness not substantially greater than the thickness of the needle (and may have a thickness much less than the thickness of the needle as shown in the drawing), and the projection extends forwardly to such a distance that the greatest circumscribing perimeter around the projection is greater than the perimeter of a loop as drawn initially by the needle hook. The thickness dimensions here referred to are those dimensions that are measurable at right angles to the plane of the drawing of Fi 2; width dimensions are those dimensions that are measurable at right angles to the plane of the drawing of Fig. 1. By cireumscribing perimeter it will be understood that it means the perimeter as measured by the length of a thread necessary to pass around and enclose the needle at the point thereon where the projection 58 extends the farthest forward. Preferably the projection 58 is an integral part of the needle-and-clip combination, and preferably is a projection from the forward edge of the needle, as illustrated. Beyond (that is to say, at points further removed from the needle hook than, and in case of a cylinder needle, below) the most forwardly extending point on the projection the clip may be shaped to somewhat extend the forward and downward incline of the projection as it were, as the clip departs from the needle side; that is to say, the clip 24a may be so shaped that the loop, after leaving the projection 58 and passing onto the clip, is drawn out still farther in the direction generally away from the edge of the fabric. This however is not necessary, but in any event beyond the most forwardly extending point on the projection so much of the forward surface of the clip as is engaged by a loop is located further forward than the part of the forward edge of the needl which is adjacent thereto, and at its maximum this difference preferably is made as considerable as reasonably possible, as illustrated just above the shoulder or notch 55 that is provided in the clip edge in the prese-.t instance, Fig. 2. To this end, when the projection 5:3 is not formed entirely on the clip this projection is so shaped as to retreat downwardly toward the each of the needle as it were, Fig. 2, preferably by a gradual incline as. shown. As result, as the clip moves through a loop (already enlarged by the draft of the projection 58 on the loop), the clip not only carries one leg the loop to one side (Fig. 1, and perhaps carries the loop end still further forward also, due to the downward and outward inclination of the forward surface of the clip as before suggested), but also the opposite leg 59 of the loop is allowed more and more to take a diagonal lirection from near the back edge of the needle to the forward surface of the clip 24a. Preferably a shoulder or notch Si is provided in the forward edge of the clip, at a point thereon that is above the level of the instrument 6 when the needle 5 is raised to it high :t position during transferring, and at about this point the body portion of the clip is farthest separated from the needle side. Preferably also, at about the same location lengthwise of the nstrument a notch or shoulder 63 is provided to i ceive the loop at some distance from the clip, that to say, adjacent the needle, and preferably is provided on the forward partof the needle. Preferably both notches or shoulders 60 and. SI are provided. The back wall of the notch or shoulder 6| on the clip against which the loop rests (or this part of the clip edge, if no shoulder is provided here) also is located further forward than the adjacent forward edge of the needle, Fig. 2, so that at this shoulder or point also the yarn extends diagonally from the needle to the clip; i. e., when both shoulders 69 and 8! are employed the back wall of the clip shoulder 6! is located further forward than the back wall of the needle shoulder, 2. Preferably the back wall of the clipshoulder 6! is located slightly less forward than the furthest forward point on the clip so that the yarn will more readily drop to this shoulder, Fig. 2.

As so far described the transfer needle is that of the U. S. Patent No. 2,326,694 mentioned before, and operates about as there described, speaking generally. That is to say, during ordinary lrnitting operations the needle is so reciprocated that its projection 58 does not reach, or at least does not proceed far into, any loop 5? that may be on the needle. When a loop on a needle 5 is to be transferred, one or both the needle beds is or are racked so as to bring the loop-receiving instrument 5, or rather, its path, sufiiciently close to the side of the needle 5 to permit the instrument 6 to pass between the clip and the staff of the needle 5 when the loop has been brought onto the clip, Fig. 1, unless this is their then or normal relation. Then (or while this racking is taking place), the needle 5 is projected until the shoulders 6i and 6! (assuming both are used) are brought to positions where at least one of them is above the level of the path of the instrument 8, Figs. 1 and 2. During this movement the projection 58 draws out the loop lengthwise in order to get into the loop some or all of the extra yarn that is required for the transferring, then the clip opens the loop (with or without drawing further yarn into it) and also ultimately places the crossbar .33 of the enlarged and opened loop (the crossbar being formed mostly from the loop leg 59) above the path of the receiving instrument 6 and establishes the loop leg 52 definitely below and at one side of that path. The instrument 5 is now projected outwardly through the space between the clip and the needle and accordingly below the cross-bar 63 and within the loop to be transferred, Figs. 1 and 2. The needle 5 is now retracted, e. g. into its cylinder. As it moves downwardly the loop is deposited on 6, then the resiliency of the clip permits the instrument 6 to pass from within the clip, and the needle 5 is withdrawn completel from the loop, leaving it on the instrument E.

In accordance with the present invention a platform lil is attached to the active or for vard edge of the clip 2 3a, extending more or less fr 'n the outer side H of the clip (the side se n in Figs. 2 and t) toward the needle staff. The platform need not bridge the whole distance from the clip to the stafi. Bridging only a quite small part of this space is helpful. Longitudinally of the needle the platform H3 extends from a point on the clip near where the clip begins to open side" ise each loop that: is to be transferred. to a point on the clip more or less approaching that part of the clip where its greatest spacing from the needle staff is attained. It need not extend the full distance, however, from 1e point where the sidewise opening of the loop begins to the point where the maximum separation of clip from staff is reached. A platform extending only a part of that length is helpful to the ends indicated before. As shown, the platform lil may be integral with the clip, a portion of the clip bent over as it were. Preferably however the outer surface of the joining of the clip side ii to the active face of the platform NJ, i. e. the surface at 12 in Fig. 5, is rounded something as shown. A sharp corner at this place may increase the frequency of yarn breakages noticeably.

The operation of the transfer needle with the added platform it is substantially like the operation of the same needle without the platform, excepting only that as each loop is being moved along the clip and opened, the platform supports the end of the loop transversely the needle. The result of such support, i. c. this change in the method of transferring, as well as of the platform construction, is to reduce the frequency of yarn breakages materially and permit the transferring of loops or yarns otherwise not practically transferable.

It will be understood of course that my invention is not limited to the details of construction and operation illustrated in the drawings and described above, except as appears hereafter in the claims. It is to be understood also that I do not intend the claims to be limited wholly to the particular elements specifically mentioned in them, but to include equivalents of those elements as well.

I claim:

1. The combination of a knitting machine needle having a loop-forming hook at one end, and a clip having a body portion that is displaced from one side of the staff of the needle and the end of which that is nearer the hook being disposed adjacent to the needle staff, characterized by the fact that at said body portion of the clip a platform is provided extending, transversehr of the needle, from the forward edge of the clip toward the needle staff, and longitudinally of the needle, from substantially the point on the clip where said body portion begins to open transversely loops passing over it to a point on the clip more remote from said end of the clip.

2. The subject matter of claim 1, characterized by the fact that longitudinally of the needle said platform extends to substantially a point on the clip whereat the maximum spacing between said body portion of the clip and. needle staff occurs.

3. A transfer needle having a hook at one end and a transfer clip on one side, at least that end of the clip which is the more remote from the needle hook being attached to the needle at one side of the needle stafl, characterized by the fact that the forward edge of the clip is provided with a platform extending toward the needle staff to serve as a broad bearing surface for the yarn.

4. A transfer needle having a hook at one end and a transfer clip on one side displaced from the hook, at least that end of the clip which is the more remote from the needle hook being attached to the needle at one side of the needle staff, characterized by the fact that the forward edge of the clip is provided with a platform to serve as a broad bearing surface for the yarn extending from the outer side of the clip toward the needle stair.

5. The subject matter of claim 4, characterized by the fact that the platform joins the body of the clip at one edge of the platform and the external corner of the junction of the two is rounded.

6. A knitting needle having a hook at one end thereof, a sidewise-extending loop-opening clip at one side of the needle, and a forwardly-extending projection, inclined forwardly and downwardly, to enter a loop to be transferred prior to the entry therein of the portion of the clip that is most widely spaced from the needle staff and of a thickness at most as great substantially as the thickness of the needle staff, characterized by the fact that a relatively broad platform is provided extending toward the needle staff from the forwardly facing edge of the clip, and longitudinally of the needle the said platform being disposed intermediate that end of the clip which is nearer said hook and the portion of the clip which is most widely spaced from the needle staff.

7. A knitting machine needle having a hook at one end and a loop-opening clip on one side wall to open loops to be transferred, the body portion of the clip being spaced from the staff of the needle, the forward edge of the needle being provided with a forwardly-extending projection adjacent that end of the clip which is nearer said hook and which inclines thence toward the; needle hook and is of reduced dimension on the side of the projection that is away from the hook, the clip being provided with a yarn-holding shoulder, at said body portion, the forward edge of the needle being provided with a holding shoulder to cooperate with said shoulder of the clip, and the forwardly-facing loop-engaging wall at the root of the shoulder on the clip standing further forward than the forwardly-facing loop-engaging wall at the root of the needle shoulder, characterized by the fact that at least that part of said body portion of the clip which is nearer said hook is provided with a platform extending transversely of the needle from the forward edge of the clip toward the needle stafi.

8. In the method of transferring a knitting loop from a needle to another instrument which includes the step of opening the loop by thrusting a clip at the side of the needle into the loop, the further step which includes supporting the end of the loop, transversely of the needle, intermediate the clip and the needle staff, from substantially the time when the opening of the loop is begun to a later moment.

9. In the method of transferring a knitting loop from a needle to another instrument which includes the steps of enlarging the loop by drawing it out substantially lengthwise of itself and then opening the loop by thrusting a clip at the side of the needle into the loop, the further step which includes supporting the end of the loop, transversely of the needle, intermediate the clip and the needle staff, from substantially the time when the opening of the loop is begun to a later moment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,111,476 McAdams Mar. 15, 1938 2,111,477 McAdams Mar. 15, 1938 2,292,940 Holmes Aug. 11, 1942 2,326,694 Sirmay Aug. 10, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,306 Great Britain Apr. 6, 1912 

